Britain’s big four supermarkets have surrendered more ground to their discount rivals it emerged today.

The main supermarket chains all posted declining sales in the three months to the end of March.

But the quarter saw record sales growth for discount supermarket chain Aldi, which achieved sales growth of 35.3 per cent in the same period, and grew its market share from 3.4 per cent a year ago to 4.6 per cent this year.

The
till roll figures from Kantar Worldpanel show leader Tesco’s market
share decline in the three months to March to 28.2 per cent compared
with 29.7 per cent a year earlier, as sales fell 3 per cent.

Chief
rival Asda produced the most resilient performance among the big four
in the period, with a sales fall of 0.5 per cent leaving its market
share at 17.4 per cent against 17.6 per cent a year ago.

Sainsbury's saw its market share fall to 16.5 per cent from 16.9 per cent a year earlier, after sales fell 1.7 per cent.

Morrisons’
market share fell to 11.1 per cent from 11.6 per cent a year ago. The
supermarket, which issued its second profit warning last month, saw sales
decline 3.8 per cent.

Record sales: Lidl and Adli both saw their market share increase on the back of strong sales in the first 12 weeks of March

The figures will be a blow for Tesco, whose finance director Laurie McIlwee resigned from the supermarket giant, after investors expressed anger at poor half year results and £2billion of write downs six months earlier.

Tesco posts its full-year results on 16 April. Analysts expect pre-tax profits to fall to £3bn from £3.2bn a year earlier.

In October Tesco reported a 23.5 per cent fall in half year pre-tax profits.

Last April's full year results revealed a £1.2billion write-down on Tesco's Fresh & Easy US chain of stores, which had never turned a profit, and an £804million write-down on its UK property portfolio.

Tesco eventually sold its Fresh & Easy chain and exited the US market altogether.

Waitrose held on to its record 5 per cent share after sales rose 4.5 per cent, while the Co-op appears to have stemmed recent losses by stabilising at 6.1 per cent.

Asda PM: David Cameron visited an Asda store in south London today as the food retailer unveiled plans to create 12,000 new jobs

Overall grocery sales grew by just 0.6 per cent in the 12 weeks and were in part distorted by the late timing of Easter this year. It estimates that Easter accounts for market growth of 0.9 per cent.

But Kantar said even adjusting for Easter the figure was low by historical standards at 1.5 per cent.

It said grocery inflation was 1.8 per cent for the 12 week period - the lowest level since July 2010.

Kantar Worldpanel director Edward Garner said: ‘All of the 'big four' supermarkets have faced declining sales over the past 12 weeks, which has been accentuated by the late falling of Easter.

‘Nevertheless, they have also seen worrying share declines, with the most resilient performance coming from Asda this period.’

On Monday, Asda has unveiled plans to create up to 12,000 new jobs in the UK as part of a five-year strategy.

The supermarket giant said the jobs would be created by expansion into parts of the country where it currently has no presence, with the implication that new stores will be opened.

Doug McMillon, president and chief executive of Asda's US parent company Walmart, said the supermarket group was ‘creating more new jobs and bringing real value to more customers in the UK’.